The Year of the Rat

Lunar New Year poster with a cartoon rat.

Lunar New Year poster showing the "Year of the Rat"

Jade rats sitting on gold.

Fish signifies abundance, a favorite
symbol for Lunar New Year.

An abundance of Lunar New Year treats.

More Lunar New Year treats.

The Lunar New Year falls on February 7 this year. It's the beginning of the Year of the Rat. Rat is the first animal in the 12 Chinese zodiacs. Legend has it:

The Jade Emperor called for animals to line up to be considered as signs of zodiac. The cat wanted to be the first and told his good friend the rat to wake him up in the morning. The rat decided not to wake up the cat and went by himself to the line up. Unfortunately the rat did not make the first in line; the Ox was the first. The rat jumped on the Ox and people yelled, "What a big rat!" The rat convinced the Jade Emperor that he should be the first sign instead of the Ox because no one said the Ox was big but everyone said the rat was big. He got his wish and became the first sign of the 12 zodiacs; the Ox had to settle for the 2nd place.

When the cat finally woke up and found out what the rat did, he and the rat became enemies and such dislike for each other lasted for generations and generations.